Helen Elizabeth Austin

Helen Elizabeth Lancaster Austin, age 91, passed away peacefully on February 2, 2026, in Greenville, South Carolina. Born on October 15, 1934, in Union, South Carolina, Helen was the daughter of the late Claudy Ray and Bertha Elizabeth (Lawson) Lancaster. She graduated from Union High School in 1952.

After decades spent as a dedicated homemaker for her three children, Helen took it upon herself to go to college. Despite still being a devoted full-time caregiver for her beloved daughter, Terri, who had spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, and despite the 1.5 hour daily commute from Union to Columbia, she graduated in the early 1980s from the University of South Carolina with a degree in education.

Helen was proud of her decades spent as an elementary school teacher in the Union County school system, and especially proud of her advocacy for students who were struggling academically or socially. She enjoyed unexpected conversations with former students in the grocery store line, relishing the chance to hear about their lives, careers, and families.

In her later years, she loved to cook delicious feasts of Southern comfort food for her family—biscuits, macaroni & cheese, roast beef, deviled eggs, collard greens, cookies, and cakes. A great storyteller with a feisty demeanor, she never failed to get a laugh even in her final days. She enjoyed hunting for good deals, “piddling” around the house, sewing for people and dolls alike, and spoiling her grandchildren with seemingly infinite treats.

Helen was preceded in death by her daughter, Terri Darlene Austin; her husband, Paul Harold Austin; and her sisters, Doris Lawson Addison and Brenda Lancaster Adams. She is survived by her brothers, George Reid Lancaster and James Claudy Lancaster; two sons, Timothy Harold Austin (Sandy) and Jeffrey Blake Austin (Layne); and six grandchildren: Kristina, Sarah, Matthew, Maggie, Goldie, and Ellie.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, February 5 at Holcombe Funeral Home (310 W South St, Union, SC 29379) conducted by Rev. David Smith. A time of visitation will begin an hour prior to the service. Burial and graveside service will follow at Union Memorial Gardens (1720 Whitmire Hwy, Union, SC 29379).